Chappy (Sam) member needs our prayers and support

[John TN]

Folks I've had the pleasure to meet and ride with Sam aka (Chappy) three times in person twice at Effingham Ill HDF rally and once when he, his wife Sue and another member Delta came by my home on a trip to the south,,, I can tell you he's a stand up person and man, a veteran who served his country, and what I consider a real biker if there ever was one, if you've ever read his trip stories you will know why, Sam is also a Chaplin hence the name Chappy. I will share an email he sent because it explains his condition much better than I could. Sam's going to be going through a very rough time ahead, any help that anyone can give especially if you're close to his area,, in case if he might need some help around his home or such would be appreciated, I know Chappy is a very, very independent man, but his wife Sue has MS and I believe she's confined to a wheelchair now, he's the one that has to take care of her, so with prayer, well wishes and thoughts or any medical advice that we can send his way would be awesome and very much appreciated,,, Sam you know my thoughts my friend, if you would like you can keep us updated on your progress here, Sam we're here for you if we can help in any way just let us know, if you just want to bend an ear or talk about anything. Email from Chappy (Sam Legasse) Hi, Sorry I haven't written before now. Here's a very brief update of the latest curve ball I've had a rough past 3 weeks. And it looks like several weeks/months maybe longer of a rough road ahead as well. I'll pick here to start: 09/18/09 I called the WRJ. VT VA hospital I told them I am having chest pains and just didn't feel well. Come right in, they said. Got there at 2:30pm, by 3pm I was in the ER. They thought I was having a heart attack, nope not me! I also wouldn't go to Boston VA, not on a Friday afternoon. (ghostown on weekends) The next Tuesday (9/22), I had a stress test (does anyone win that race?), and a contrast C-T scan of my chest. Seems my heart is strong but, It also turns out there's a tumor growing on/in my thymus gland, (an organ that's part of the Lymph gland system) between my breastbone and heart. It is the size if a fist. (I hope they were nt thinking of Tyson!) Did I say it hurts? So a biopsy was done by the next Tuesday morning (9/29). It was guided by the use of the C-T scan. Waiting 5 days was a challange. But the info came finally. It's Thymoma, Cancer of the Thymus. Part of the Lymph system. Hodgkins or Non-Hodgkins cancer has not been decided yet. The Stage is believed to be Stage 2 or 3. I was told yesterday that they have to remove it and all the mess that seems to be confined to my chest cavity. It has spread to my right lung (left lung ?) A Tumor Board met today at the WRJ VT VA along with some Dhartmouth Doc's. to discuse my case. I am now told my tumor is to big and is wrapped around my heart vessels and veins and has also attacked my right lung, (left lung ?) and other areas of my chest. The tumor has metastasizes and is now unable to be removed surgically. I still have many questions to ask latter Now, The plan is a PET scan (10/19) at Dartmouth to locate any and all tumors around my body. The hope is there won't be many, none would be nice. Radiation treatment for several weeks sometime after (10/30) maybe with chemo. If my tumor can be shrunk enough, then removing it might be back on the table in several weeks. Although I'm not sure what several means??? But, for now I can say to my VA Doc, I told I didn't feel good!! lol All along, I thought I was simply feeling this bad because of diabetes. And that's what the PCG at the VA has been telling me too. I have a rough road ahead it seems I'm still trying to get a handle on all the info myself. I will let you know from time to time how I'm doing if you would like me to, if not, it's OK, just say so. till then Take care of yourself your friend Sam aka chappy Sam Legasse Thoughts and Prayers for Sam for a full recovery. My prayers and thoughts for him and his family. That's the tough part of medicine... How do you find something wrong when it has so signs or symptoms... Prayers sent.... Thoughts and prayers sent. .......... All the best wishes and luck! Prayers sent not only for Sam but also for his wife and family. May the pain subside and you have a full recovery after treatments. God Bless. SteveB Prayer Chain emailed. Prayers and thoughts to ya, Chappy. God Speed!! Prayer sent, good luck man. Noname our prayers are with you. Paryers with ya Chappy!! John TN, I don't know of chappy myself, but as all the others, send my thoughts and prayers along. Question... Where is chappy located, so that possibly some might be able to give a little assistance in some way. I know I would if he is any where near my area, and I have no doubt others would also. I know this is a public forum and could be 'chancy' posting personal stuff online, but if there is any possible way to find out where he is perhaps his burden could be eased just a bit... BTW, I am in Fort Pierce, FL. If he's in traveling distance I'd like to volunteer my 'services'. Prayers are out for ya chappy! Thoughts and prayers for Chappy and his wife. John, does Chappy have a PO box we could send cards and such to? Prayin' for you and the family Chappy. Best of luck! Thoughts and prays sent Prayers for you Chappy and family... Trust in God he knows best. MIke My prayers are with him You can do it Chappy!!!....You can make that tumor run away in fear! Amen!!! Hi Guys, I'm asking for thoughts and prayers for my family during this time ahead. Thanks in advance I hope I placed this in the right thread. Sorry I haven't written before now because I have seen that you guys do care. So, here's a very brief outline of the latest curve ball tossed my way I't's been a rough past 3 weeks. And it looks like several weeks/months maybe longer of a rough road ahead as well. I'll start with 09/18/09: I called the WRJ. VT. Veterans hospital. I told them I am having chest pains and just didn't feel well. Come right in, they said. Got there at 2:30pm, by 3pm I was in the ER. They thought I was having a heart attack, nope not me! I also wouldn't go to Boston Vets Hospital as they suggested, not on a Friday afternoon. (ghostown on weekends) The next Tuesday (9/22), I had a stress test (Hey,does anyone ever win that race?), as well as a contrast C-T scan of my chest. Seems my heart is strong enough but, as it turns out there's a tumor growing on/in my thymus gland, (an organ that's part of the Lymph gland system) between my breastbone and heart. It is the size if a fist. (I hope they were nt thinking of Tyson!) lol Did I say it hurts? So a biopsy was done the following Tuesday morning (9/29). It was guided by the use of the C-T scan. Waiting the 5 days for the call from my Doc was a challange. But the info came finally. It's Thymoma, Cancer of the Thymus. Part of the Lymph system. Hodgkins or Non-Hodgkins cancer has not been decided yet. The Stage is believed to be Stage 2 or 3. I was told yesterday that they have to remove it and all the mess that seems to be confined to my chest cavity at this point. It has spread to at least my right lung (left lung ?) Good news: It's not genitic, so I can rest on the fact that I haven't passed on a dirty gene to my children or my grandchildren. I am thankful for that. Strange news: This type of cancer only sticks it's ugly head up in 500 - 700 people in America a year. I'm surprized they even have a name for it. lol A Tumor Board met today at the WRJ VT V Hospital along with some Dhartmouth Hitchcock Hospital Doc's. to discuse my case. (Lucky my case was on their agenda so soon) However, I'm now told my tumor is to big and to wrapped around my heart, vessels and veins and has also attacked my right lung, (left lung ?) and other areas of my chest. The tumor has metastasizes and is now unable to be removed surgically. I still have many questions to ask latter Now, The plan is a PET scan (10/19) at Dartmouth to locate any and all tumors around my body. The hope is there won't be many. (none would be nice) Radiation treatment for several weeks sometime after a (10/30) appointment with Oncology maybe the radiation will be paired with chemo also. If my tumor can be shrunk enough, then removing it might be back on the table in several weeks. The Doc says a this time it's only a hope. (but that something!) Although I'm not sure what several means??? But, for now I can say to my VA primary Doc, "I told I didn't feel good!!" lol (been telling her for months) All along, I thought I was simply feeling this bad because of diabetes. That's what the PCG at the VA has been telling me too. I have a rough road ahead it seems I'm still trying to get a handle on all the info myself. I will let you know from time to time how I'm doing till then Take care of yourself your friend and fellow member chappy Sam Legasse Hang in there, we all are pulling for ya and praying for ya Chappy! Thoughts going out Chappy.....Hang in there and be strong... I will post up on the HSOA board.....You know great thoughts will come from there... Bump!!

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[John TN]

Bump, folks I merged a thread that Chappy started in the prayer room here to the OT so we can keep up with any updates. All the posts everyone has made so far from the prayer room and the OT is in the first post here now,, all new posts will fall in line.

Thanks. Hope I didn't confuse everyone, I'm new at this merging threads.

[HeatherC]

Chappy is truly a great man and I this breaks my heart! Thoughts and prayers for him and his family in this very difficult time. I wish there was something more I could do. Please pass my thoughts onto Chappy and let him know we are pulling for him. Keep me updated please John?

[SportsterBob]

Chappy said it straight-forward with life experience behind his words and never did it in an insulting manner....Not many can do that today....Send Chappy a "kite" to say "hello" and let him know we are thinking about him!!!

[chappy]

Hello folks I am Chappy's (Sam) wife Sue.
Hope you don't mind me using his user name but just for clarification: although I do have MS I am not confined to a wheelchair, but I do have to use one alot of the time. Now with that behind me:
You have no idea how much your kind and caring words have meant to Sam and I. If you want to send a card to Sam our address is:
Sam Legasse
PO Box 338
Sunapee, NH 03782
Cards are nice, Sam enjoys reading your posts. I will post updates from time to time if Sam is not feeling up to it.
Many, many thanks to all of you.
Sincerely Chappy's wife
Sue aka Miss Daisy

[SportsterBob]

Allright Sue, thanks for the mailing address.....Don't be surprised if a bunch of loud bikes land near your house!!!!

[GeorgiaGirl]

Thanks for the address Sue and please do keep us updated. Best wishes!

[Gypsylady]

Best wishes for a full recovery! ((((((Chappy & Sue))))))))))))))

[glenalt]

Prayers are with Chappy & Sue. If I lived close I would stop in for a visit and prayer. I don't so I'll just pray that God will make His presence known and felt in a miracle. He is still in that business.

[chappy]

Hello folks,

Thanks for all your careing and kind words.
All the advice, well taken also, thanks!!

I had a copy printed of the Doctor's notes and reports.
I also had copies made of the biopsy report and well, pretty much everything from Sept 19th until last Thursday.

I've been reading these papersover the weekend and it's amazing to me that although I speak english, these papers are much like reading a foreign lanuage. And it's a comfort to me that I can prove I'm not the only one that doesn't spell good. What's even funnier to me is that the Doc's don't take the time to do spell check either. lol

After looking up words for the meaning, I find I can't even sound out many of the words. But they are very precise, and finely point to what is going on. As I stated earlier, my chest is quite a mess, the thymus cancer (Thymoma: man, that sounds to me like some kind of Island dance the locals talk you into danceing after they sauce you up a bit), It has metastasized by tisue to tisue so far, to my right lung, my inner cheast liner, my diaphram, a level #9 (what ever that is, reminds me of the White Album song number 9, confusion sums that up pretty good I guess, lol), my heart and it's veins and vessels seem to have the most tissue to tissue aggression tossed it it for now. It seems there are 2 sacks that hold the heart in place, both of those sack perimeters have been compromised. So one of our hopes is that the second way this type of cancer spreads (through the blood) hasn't happened yet. That info will be gathered with the PET scan on the 19th. Time is flying, it's only been 3 weeks and 2 days since my call to the Hospital asking about chest pain. One week from tomorrow will be the Pet scan. One other way this cancer spreads is through the lymph system, the thymus is like grand centrol in the chest for the lymph system. We are also hopeing that that system has not metastasized past my chest cavity, and the PET scan I'll have will gather that info as it is of my whole body.

Tomorrow, I plan to find a way to recieve treatments more locally, since they will likely be 5 days a week on an out-patient basis, the travel seems would be would be worse than the treatment. From here it's 2 and hours to Boston and about 4 hours to Albany, NY on some of the worst roads during winter conditions, but I hope to find out that info at my Oncology appointment on the 30th, (Trick or Treat, treat I hope) maybe I'll wear a costume, all my leathers and foul weather face mask. lol

Although the Tumor Board meeting wrote me off for surgery, one of those Doc's has made an appointment for me 11/03 at the Boston VA hospital with a tumor Board there, so I will have a second oppinion at least. I'm hoping, because the boston VA hospital has more experience with this type of cancer, maybe they will be more apt to give a more aggressive approach and possibly surgery before the radiation or chemo treatment starts. Now that would be OK with me.

Anyway, thanks again for careing, and I will keep you infored as I gather more info.

For now,
ride it while you can

Sam aka chappy